Abstract
One of the most important purposes of secondary alveolar cleft bone grafting is to allow for the closure of the cleft defect and provide a normal dental arch form orthodontically without any prosthesis. To obtain better arch form around the grafted bone area, making wide graft bed and filling the graft bed completely with cancellous bone tips are two major significant surgical procedures.
However, surgeons sometimes encounter the cases having enlarged and bulbous inferior turbinate of the cleft side, which interrupts making a wide graft bed.
In such cases, the inferior turbinate to make a wide graft bed can be reduced. Inferior turbinate can be reduced by scissors inserted from the nostril while maintaining the nasal mucosa opening; this is followed by water tight nasal side closure.
Application of this method enables not only making the nasal floor flat and deep but also making a satisfactory bone bridge for orthodontic tooth movement. Complication related to reducing inferior turbinate is minimal.
In conclusion, reducing inferior turbinate is considered to a very useful procedure for the patients who have enlarged and bulbous inferior turbinate of the cleft side.
